ardly be distinguished,
differed widely in quality when cooked. Even in this case of extreme
variability, the parent-stock had some influence on the progeny, for
the greater number of the seedlings resembled in some degree the parent
Irish potato. Kidney potatoes must be ranked amongst the most highly
cultivated and artificial races; yet their peculiarities can often be
strictly propagated by seed. A great authority, Mr. Rivers,[614] states
that "seedlings from the ash-leaved kidney always bear a strong
resemblance to their parent. Seedlings from the fluke-kidney are still
more remarkable for their adherence to their parent-stock, for, on
closely observing a great number during two seasons, I have not been
able to observe the least difference either in earliness,
productiveness, or in the size or shape of their tubers."

* * * * *

{332}

CHAPTER X.

PLANTS _continued_--FRUITS--ORNAMENTAL TREES--FLOWERS.

FRUITS.--GRAPES--VARY IN ODD AND TRIFLING PARTICULARS.--MULBERRY.--THE
ORANGE GROUP--SINGULAR RESULTS FROM CROSSING.--PEACH AND
NECTARINE--BUD-VARIATION--ANALOGOUS VARIATION--RELATION TO THE
ALMOND.--APRICOT.--PLUMS--VARIATION IN THEIR
STONES.--CHERRIES--SINGULAR VARIETIES
OF.--APPLE.--PEAR.--STRAWBERRY--INTERBLENDING OF THE ORIGINAL
FORMS.--GOOSEBERRY--STEADY INCREASE IN SIZE OF THE FRUIT--VARIETIES
OF.--WALNUT.--NUT.--CUCURBITACEOUS PLANTS--WONDERFUL VARIATION OF.

ORNAMENTAL TREES--THEIR VARIATION IN DEGREE AND
KIND--ASH-TREE--SCOTCH-FIR--HAWTHORN.

FLOWERS--MULTIPLE ORIGIN OF MANY KINDS--VARIATION IN CONSTITUTIONAL
PECULIARITIES--KIND OF VARIATION.--ROSES--SEVERAL SPECIES
CULTIVATED.--PANSY.--DAHLIA.--HYACINTH, HISTORY AND VARIATION OF.

_The Vine_ (_Vitis vinifera_).--The best authorities consider all our
grapes as the descendants of one species which now grows wild in
western Asia, which grew during the Bronze-age wild in Italy,[615] and
which has recently been found fossil in a tufaceous deposit in the
south of France.[616] Some authors, however, entertain much doubt about
the single parentage of our cultivated varieties, owing to the number
of semi-wild forms found in Southern Europe, especially as described by
Clemente,[617] in a forest in Spain; but as the grape sows itself
freely in Southern Europe, and as several of the chief kinds